APD never looked into allegations that a man tried to kiss Victoria months before she was killed

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Updated: 7:56 AM MDT Aug 4, 2017

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WEBVTT OVERSEES APD.>> ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER SANDRA RAMIREZ IS LIVE WITH DETAILS ABOUT THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS, AND APD'S RESPONSE.>> THE MOM TOLD US THERE WASNOTHING GOING ON IN THE HOME.SHE REMOVED THE BOYFRIEND.REPORTER: THAT'S THE VOICE OFTHE OFFICER AS OFFICERSINVESTIGATED THIS CLAIM.>> WHEN DETECTIVES SPOKE TO THEKIDS, THEY DIDN'T MAKE ANYALLEGATIONS THAT ANYTHINGHAPPENED.REPORTER: THE PROBLEM IS, THEDETECTIVES NEVER SPOKE TO THEKIDS.>> THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED THATOFFICER DID LIE AND SET UP ANDLIE ABOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OFAPD.REPORTER: THE CIVILIAN POLICEOVERSIGHT BOARD FOUND THE CHIEFAND HIS SPOKESPERSON WERE TOLD THAT DETECTIVES WERE NEVER SENT TO INVESTIGATE CLAIMS ABOUT TINVESTIGATION.THE CPOA SAYS A DIFFERENT APDSPOKESPERSON WAS TOLD ABOUT THEMISTAKE THAT NEVER DID ANYTHINGTO CORRECT IT.IN A STATEMENT TODAY, ESPINOZAADMITTED THE MISCOMMUNICATION

Investigation finds APD spokesperson lied about Victoria Martens case

APD never looked into allegations that a man tried to kiss Victoria months before she was killed

An investigation by the Civilian Police Oversight Agency found that an Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson lied to an Albuquerque Journal reporter about investigating allegations that a man tried to kiss Victoria Martens months before she was killed.

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The spokesperson, Officer Fred Duran, was responding to a Journal reporter in January.

“That information was given to me that detectives went and talked to the family. The mom had told us that there was nothing going on the home and she removed the boyfriend,” Duran is heard on recordings by the Journal.

A different APD spokesperson, Celina Espinoza, later said APD never investigated the claims. She said Duran’s previous statements were a miscommunication.

The CPOA launched an investigation, and found that Police Chief Gorden Eden and Duran were present for a meeting with a detective from the Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) in December, who told them both that officers never investigated the allegations.

After the Journal story was published in January, a CACU supervisor told Espinoza that the information they had given the Journal was wrong. The Journal claims Espinoza never told them about the correction.

Members of the Civilian Police Oversight Agency’s board met this week to discuss the findings of the CPOA investigation.

“The investigation showed that absolutely that Officer D. did lie, setup, and lie about the involvement of APD,” said Fine.

Documents related to the CPOA investigation will be made public next week.

Fine said the board will recommend both Duran and Espinoza receive written reprimands, plus an 80-hour suspension for Duran.

Espinoza sent the following statement in response:

“As soon as I learned there was a miscommunication between the PIO office and the Journal, I worked diligently to understand how this could occur and attain the facts. This took some time due to the complexity of this case. We are human. We take this issue very seriously. We all work very hard to get accurate information to the Journal, media and public at all times.”